


Take My Breath Away

by SlimyPieceOfCheese



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff and Angst, Gay Will Byers, Grumpy Mike, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pining, Unrequited Love, but mike is whipped for El, mike is oblivious, snowball dance, will is on a rollercoaster of emotions and mike isnt helping, will is whipped for mike, will trying to convince himself he isnt gay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-30
Updated: 2019-05-30
Packaged: 2020-03-29 17:34:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19024657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlimyPieceOfCheese/pseuds/SlimyPieceOfCheese
Summary: Will Byers would die for Mike Wheeler if given the chance.Will has very mixed emotions regarding the annual Snowball dance but finds comfort in the fact that Mike will be there. They share an intimate moment during the school dance and Will is finally happy, but then guess who walks through the door and screws everything up.





	Take My Breath Away

**Author's Note:**

> I know Will doesn't have a walkie talkie in canon, but just bear with me for the sake of the story. lol

It was over. It was finally over. It was about a month since Eleven closed the gate to the Upside Down, and things were finally getting back to normal. Almost a year ago, after Eleven defeated the Demogorgon and Will was saved, things were okay, but they weren’t normal. Back then, Will couldn’t sleep alone for at least a month. He constantly had flashbacks or visions that were later renamed as True Sight, and on top of that, everyone either avoided him like a plague or treated him like he was some delicate flower that needed to be protected at all costs. So yeah, things were okay, but they- by all means- were not normal. But as time passed, Will felt like things were getting back to how they were. He hadn’t experienced any True Sight since Eleven closed the gate. His friends were finally treating him the way they always had. He wasn’t scared of the Upside Down anymore, he had already faced the worst of fears a month ago when he was possessed. He could finally be normal. Normal.

The annual Snowball dance was coming up, and Will couldn’t help feeling pessimistic. Considering he was a shy, introverted kid, a school dance was not in Will’s comfort zone. Not only that, but there was no way that the four lamest kids in the school were going to be allowed to enjoy themselves. This dance was going to suck. Will thought about skipping the dance as he sat on his bed staring at the wall in front of him. He looked down at the size small suit jacket that was lying on the bed next to him. He really didn’t feel like going to the dance, he knew people were just going to make fun of him and his friends. 

All of a sudden, his walkie talkie that was across the room made short staticky sounds. Will rushed over to the device and extended the antenna to gain better reception. It was Lucas. “Incoming, incoming. Is anyone there? Over.”

Will held down the button and spoke through the walkie talkie. “I’m here. Over."

“Yeah, What’s up?” Dustin’s lispy voice chimed in.

“Guys, tonight is going to be great!” Lucas responded with genuine excitement. “I look so fresh right now.”

“Dude tell me about it! Wait until you guys see what I’m doing to my hair.” Dustin exclaimed. “Trust me, when I walk in those school doors, I will be fresher than anyone in the entire building.”

Will felt worse and worse while listening to his friends talk about how much fun they planned to have. He knew they were getting their hopes up. His friends would understand if he decided not to go right? Will held down the “Talk” button on his walkie and cleared his throat. “Hey, guys... I don't really think I want to g-” 

“Okay! Okay! Okay! I’m here!! Sorry I just got out of the shower. What’s going on?” Mike's voice rang through the device.

“Ah! Mike, aren't you so excited for tonight?” Lucas asked enthusiastically. 

“Oh... No.” Mike answered, voice free of any inflection.

“What!?” Lucas exclaimed.

“You can’t be serious!” Dustin added.

“I don't want to go to this stupid dance. It's just going to be everyone else having fun except us.” He replied.

“I completely agree with Mike on this one,” Will said.

Dustin, Lucas, and Mike went back and forth debating about how fun the dance was going to be. Will just stayed silent. He knew the main reason Dustin and Lucas were excited to go was that Max was going to be there. Will didn't care about that. He didn't want to go. Period. They would have way more fun if they just hung out at Mike’s house.

“Well, you two can have fun at your dance, but me and Will are going to have fun drinking punch by ourselves,” Mike said with a bit of spite in his voice. “Anyway, I got to go. Mom’s calling. I gotta convince her not to put any gel in my hair. See you guys at the dance. Over and out.”

“Me too,” Will said, trying not to blush. “My mom is trying to teach me how to dance right now. Bye! Over and out.”

Will turned off his walkie talkie and held it tightly to his chest. He couldn’t help but smile at the thought of spending the entire night with Mike. Suddenly, this night might not be as bad as he anticipated.

○♡○♡○♡○

Will arrived at the dance earlier than most people because his brother, Jonathan, was the one taking pictures, which meant he needed to be there early to set up. Will sat at a table for about 10 minutes before other kids started to arrive. He watched the gym slowly swell up with his peers. The first member of the party to show up was Lucas, who had arrived full of confidence. 

“Well look who is here, earlier than anyone else. The one who didn't even want to come.” Lucas teased.

“I didn't say I didn't want to come,” Will stated. He was definitely going to say that, but he didn't have the chance. “and my brother is taking pictures so I had to come early.”

Lucas and Will sat there for about two minutes talking about how Han Solo would react if Leia had never told him that she and Luke were twins, and he found out on his own. Then Max walked through the door. Since he kept looking at the door every 5 seconds, Lucas spotted her immediately. “Okay, she is here. How do I look?” 

“Uh, you look fine to me.”

“Oh no! I can't look fine, I have to look fresh!” Lucas started panicking.

“You look fresh then! Geez.” Will joked. 

“Okay, quick here she comes. Act natural.” Lucas whispered right before Max arrived at their table. “Oh hey, Max, you look nice tonight,” he said as if he hadn’t practiced it 5 times in the mirror… which he did.

“Thanks, you too. Hi, Will.” Max said trying to hide her blush. Will just gave his most genuine-looking smile and waved. 

The two love birds immediately started talking about video games and skateboards. Will just sat there listening to the conversation but staying out of it as well. He was engaged enough that he didn't make the other two worry about his mental state.

“Do you guys want to get some punch or something?” Lucas asked.

“Yeah, sure,” Max said.

“I’m good guys, I’m gonna sit here and save our spot at the table.” Will said.

“Alright, cool, we will be right back.” Lucas replied.

Max and Lucas got up and made their way to the punch bowl and snacks. Will sat there, staring down at the pale blue table cloth. Now that people were starting to crowd in, he kept his head down and avoided eye contact in fear of being targeted by some bullies. 

“Hey Will!” Mike’s voice woke him out of his normal, one-dimensional daydream. 

Will looked up to see Mike dressed up in a tan suit jacket. “Hi, Mike!” He exclaimed almost a bit too excitedly. He was just eternally grateful to Mike for arriving when he did.

“Anyone else here?” Mike asked as he sat down next to Will.

“Yeah, Lucas and Max went to get dr-” 

“Hey, Mike.” Lucas said as he returned to the table. Max stayed quiet. She knew that Mike did not like her and she figured the less he sees of her, the less he will hate her. She was very much correct.

Mike looked at Lucas, then Max, then back to Lucas. He gave them a disapproving look then continued to greet them with an unenthusiastic “hello” then immediately turned to Will to talk to him, leaving Lucas and Max to socialize on their own. “I can already tell that tonight is going to be a bummer.” Mike whispered to Will.

“I know, I feel bad though, Lucas and Dustin really had their hopes high, I hope it doesn’t get ruined” Will whispered solemnly. 

“Yeah...”

Mike and Will watched the now crowded dance floor mesh into different colors from the swaying fabrics. It was all such a blur from the outside. They both sat there in silence for a while. Will always felt bad when there was silence; he was such a wallflower compared to all of his friends. They all were talkative people so whenever there was silence he felt like there was just nothing to talk about with him. 

Within two minutes, Dustin walked up to them. Everyone bombarded him with comments on his new hair-do. Soon after, the song “Time After Time” played. Will and Mike watched Lucas try to awkwardly ask Max to dance with him, and then Max pull him out on the dance floor. They watched the smile on Dustin’s face disappear. They watched him regain confidence and then get rejected by Stacy. They watched him give up and sit on the bleachers.

“Whoop there it is.” Mike said following a sigh.

“Poor Dustin.” commented Will quietly.

They hated seeing their friend so hurt.

“This sucks!” Mike exclaimed slamming a clenched fist on the table. “This whole dance is stupid! The only reason this exists is to remind all of us losers that nobody wants to dance with us.”

Will completely agreed with Mike, but he didn't understand why Mike was so angry about it. Last year he was pretty excited about the snowball, just like Lucas and Dustin. 

All of a sudden it clicked in Will’s head. Although he wasn't there when it happened, he figured he was like this because of Eleven. Ever since last year, Mike seemed to be in a mild depression and Dustin said it was because of Eleven. Ever since last month, he was angry a lot more frequently. It was probably because of Eleven too. 

Will felt bad and sad, and angry. How could one girl have so much control over Mike? Why was she so special? Besides the fact she had superpowers. Will wished he had superpowers. A firm tap on his shoulder shook him out of his train of thought. He looked up to a girl staring at him awkwardly. 

“Hi, Zombie Boy,” she said. “Do you want to dance?”

Will was shocked, to say the least. A girl actually wanted to dance? With him!? His shock quickly turned into petrification. Should he say yes?? Will stammered trying to find coherent words to say. He looked at Mike to find an answer. Mike conveyed a look of shock similar to Will’s, but there was something else in his face too. Was it disappointment? Will couldn't tell. “Thank you, but no. You might get teased.” Will replied, trying to make sure she heard the sympathy in his voice. He couldn't leave Mike all alone tonight.

“Um... Okay. Thanks?” she said as she slowly walked away, confused.

Once she was far enough away, Mike slapped Will’s arm. “Dude. What the hell?”

“Ow! What was that for?!” Will exclaimed, rubbing his now sore arm.

“Why did you say no? That was your big chance!”

“If she danced with me, she would be bullied,” Will stated. After he saw Mike give him a disapproving look, he added, “Plus, dancing isn't really my thing.”

“Yeah, this whole dance is stupid.” Mike added.

They sat there in silence once more. After a minute, Will spoke up. “Do you wanna go somewhere? Like someplace that's not here.”

“Do you even need to ask?” Mike said grudgingly as he rose from his seat and waited for Will to follow suit. They both snuck out of the gymnasium without anyone noticing them.

They walked through a dimly lit hallway, passing one of the classrooms where they had a social studies class. It was quiet; the only sound that could be heard was their footsteps. Suddenly the air conditioning came on with a loud rumbling, causing Will to be visibly frightened, as he started shaking and taking deep breaths. He wanted to cry. Mike grabbed his hand for assurance. “It’s okay, Will. It’s okay, it’s just the air conditioning. Nothing is going to hurt you, I promise.” Mike said with utmost sincerity. 

Will felt so embarrassed. He wasn't sure if it was the fact that he got scared over a simple air conditioner or that Mike was holding his hand. It was definitely because he was holding Mike's hand. He didn't let go, instead, he just held tighter. He and Mike walked like that for a while until they reached their pre-algebra classroom. Will, not trying to seem too needy, decided to let go of his friend’s hand, even though he really did not want to leave the warmth and comfort that Mike radiated in the palm of his hand. When they walked inside the classroom, it was illuminated only by a street lamp that was placed right outside the window.

The two kids walked to the window where the light shined through. They just stared into the outside world. There was nothing but silence until Will decided to break it. “This is the most peaceful I’ve been, in a long time.” he stated, while still continuing to gaze through the window.

“What do you mean?” Mike glanced over to focus on Will.

“Well, before all of this happened, I always felt like I was missing something or something wasn't right. I know a big part of it was my dad ruining everything, but still, nothing ever felt good, like genuinely good. After the Upside Down stuff that happened, I just feel a lot more peaceful about things, now. Like I can actually appreciate how things are. And just being here right now, with you, just feels so nice.” Will said. A blush rose to his cheeks once again after he realized how weird that sounded. “I know that sounds weird but it's true. I dunno.” he finished timidly.

“I get that,” Mike said. “I mean, I obviously can't relate to what you have been through, but I know what you're saying and I'm glad you're at peace, because you are my best friend and I just really want you to be happy, and I'm really, really happy that I can be a part of that.” He rambled, “sorry for rambling.” He said awkwardly, and slightly out of breath.

Will and Mike stared at each other for two seconds before spilling out in laughter at Mike’s poor attempt at being sentimental. Mike put a reassuring hand on Will’s shoulder, while he was still trying to contain his laughter. Will once again felt the warmth and comfort that came from the touch of Mike’s hand; that coupled with the reassuring words that Mike just said, his heartbeat was jumping like it was on a trampoline. He couldn’t believe how happy he was right now. Will always knew how much Mike meant to him, but he never knew how much he meant to Mike. It was that moment that he knew nothing could ever sever their friendship, nothing could come between them because he loved Mike… as a friend of course. He put his hand on Mike’s shoulder in return as they smiled at each other. “Thank you, Mike.” He said, hoping that Mike could hear how grateful he was, not only for his kind words, but for being his friend, and making his life worth living. 

The two boys sat there, warm in each other’s embrace, watching the cold, winter weather take its toll on nature.

♡○♡○♡

The two boys were finally headed back to the gym, retracing their steps. They had been absent for about 15 minutes now. As he passed his social studies classroom, Will wondered if any of their friends even knew they were gone. He certainly hadn't been thinking about them, that's for sure.

When they returned to the dance, the song “I Ran So Far Away” was playing and kids were gently moving to the tune. Dustin, Lucas, and Max were back sitting at the table again, giggling about past events. 

“There you guys are. Where have you been?” Lucas asked.

“We just walked around the building for a bit, not really feeling this dance thing.” Mike answered. Will notice that Mike was being a lot less hostile toward him.

“Dude, you missed the best part,” exclaimed Dustin, “‘Somebody's Watching Me’ came on, which in itself is amazing, but Flynn Johnson was dancing and he slipped and accidentally did a split and ripped his pants open!!” 

“No way!” Mike replied, “That would have been hilarious to see.”

All of the kids started laughing at the misfortunes of their peers until it died out. “Poor guy.” Will added to the end.

“Well. I've got to go pee, so I will be right back.” Dustin stated before making a hasty exit.

Will’s heart warmed at the fact that Dustin was feeling better after his misfortunate events that took place earlier.

“I wish they had brownies like last year.” Lucas said.

“Yeah, I don't just want to eat cupcakes and chips the whole night.” Mike said, with less excitement since the energy died down.

Just then, the song switched to “Take My Breath Away” by Berlin. 

Lucas looked to Max and offered his hand as a gesture of insistence on dancing. Max smiled wide and grabbed his hand. They rose from their chairs and made their way back to the dance floor. 

Mike side-eyed Will, “Are you kidding? Another slow song?” 

“Well, at least it sounds good.” Will replied, trying not to let his mood hit rock bottom again.

“Yeah, I guess you gotta poin-” Mike's words caught in his throat as he saw someone walk through the door. He stood up as quickly as possible to get a better view. “That is not who I think it is. It can't be. It is!” 

Will watched Mike leave and rush toward the entrance of the building. His heart stopped when he realized the person Mike left him for was none other than Eleven. Will, again felt the anger, sadness and jealousy flood back into his heart. He watched Mike say something, and Eleven blush and pull her hair back behind her ear. Then his heart broke. He watched Eleven take Mike’s hand and go into the dance floor.

Will was so hurt. Mike abandoned him. He just got up and left him. All alone. After Will had just told him how much he meant to him. After Will refused a dance to a girl, so Mike wouldn't be all alone. Will’s eyes began to well up with tears. Did he really mean nothing to Mike? Did the moment they just shared in the classroom mean nothing? Was that all just a lie? 

Will stood up from his seat and rushed toward the exit of the gymnasium. He wanted to hide so he could cry in peace, but the tears were already streaming down his cheeks, and he couldn't help the sobs escape from his mouth. 

While he was leaving the gym, he unknowingly accidentally bumped into Dustin returning from the bathroom. 

“Sorry.” Will cracked, his voice soaked in pain. The lump in his throat made it hard to get out. He continued moving to the exit, trying to get away from every living being.

“Will?” Dustin asked, concerned. “Will what's wrong?!” 

But Will was already gone.

**Author's Note:**

> I have ideas for chapter 2 but Idk if I should write it, lemme know if you guys want a part 2!


End file.
